2017 Lamborghini Aventador S first drive review

We try and tame the Italian beast at a wet Phillip Island.

2017 Lamborghini Aventador S first drive review

22 Mar 2017Stephen Ottley

The Lamborghini Aventador S is a lot of of things fast, loud, powerful and thrilling to drive, but one thing it isn't is logical.

Why? Because in comparison to its little brother, the Huracan, it's more expensive, more difficult to drive on the limit and physically imposing on the road. Now with the introduction of the Huracan Performante, the new lap record holder at the Nurburgring, the Aventador can't even claim to be the fastest Lamborghini around a track.

And yet there is still something so appealing about the Aventador S. It looks incredibly dramatic, unlike anything on the road. That's in large because it is descended from the iconic Countach, the car that arguably shaped the visual definition of the modern supercar.

It's also appealing because of its 6.5-litre V12 engine that feels old-school in this age of downsized turbocharged engines and hybrid sports cars.

Hearing the big 12 cylinder screaming behind you as you barrel into the super fast first corner at Phillip Island it becomes perfectly understandable that people would buy the Aventador S with their heart. There is nothing else quite like it left in the world today.

In many ways it is a throwback to simpler times, when supercars were about looking fast and sounding loud. Nowadays the modern supercar has to be state-of-the-art technically and pay deference to stricter emissions laws.

But the Aventador and its big V12 don't really care about any of that. It is all about being loud, fast and evocative.

That's not to say the Aventador is low-tech. To the contrary this new Aventador S, which is effectively a mid-life update to the car after it was first launched in 2011, boasts some new hi-tech features.

2017 Lamborghini Aventador S. Photo: Joel Strickland

A new all-wheel steering system is the biggest new item for the S, improving its handling at high speed while also making it more manoeuvrable at low speed.

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The upgrades also include a new look too both for aerodynamic reasons and style. The reshaped front grille was inspired by a shark and a snake, according to Daniele Cenciarelli the research and development manager for the Aventador.

But he stresses "form follows function" and the company claims that the new front bumper, changes to the underfloor and rear diffuser have increased downforce by 130 per cent and improved high speed aerodynamic efficiency by 50 per cent.

"Every line you see is the car has an aerodynamic purpose," says Cenciarelli.

That's good because the Aventador S is also more powerful than its predecessor. There is an extra 30kW to boost the V12's output to 544kW but torque remains the same at 690Nm.

It also sounds better thanks to a new exhaust system designed to highlight the 12 cylinder symphony.

The gearbox remains the same single-clutch automatic with paddle shifters, with a switch to a dual-clutch rules out for weight reasons.

Another change for the new S model is the introduction if the 'Ego' setting in the selectable drive modes. It is the fourth setting joining Strada, Sport and Corsa that adjust the responsiveness of the engine, transmission and dampers. But despite its catchy name the Ego setting is simply Lamborghini's term for 'Individual' mode that you find in an Audi. It allows you to select the three components (engine, transmission and suspension) individually between the three modes (Strada, Sport and Corsa).

What does all this mean when you unleash the Aventador S on the racetrack? Well, it's hard to make a definitive call on just how good the new Lamborghini is based on our drive this week.

That's because our track test at Phillip Island was plagued by persistent rain during the day and we were limited to just four laps behind an instructor driving a Huracan.

That means we weren't able to fully explore the limits of the Aventador S but it gives us enough of a taste to understand the appeal of the car. The V12 makes a great noise and feels powerful, pulling effortless past 200km/h down the main straight even in the wet.

Thanks to the all-wheel drive system and the new design Pirelli P Zero tyres the Aventador doesn't have any trouble transmitting the power to the tarmac even with the rain making the track very slick in places.

The four-wheel steering works in the same direction at high speed and coupled with the Dynamic Steering it responds quickly to inputs from the driver. We also got to experiment with the new system in a low speed slalom course. At lower speeds (below 50km/h) the rear wheels turn the opposite way to the fronts and it makes a noticeable difference to the big machine's manoeuvreability.

But while the Aventador S is an improvement over the model it replaces it is still hard to justify when you consider the Huracan. The smaller machine has the same distinctive Lamborghini styling, excellent all-wheel drive handling and a beautiful V10 engine. And it costs more than $350,000 less than the Aventador S, which is priced from an eye-watering $788,914.

However, the appeal of the Aventador S isn't logical, it's emotional. It's screaming V12, shark-inspired looks and even its sky-high price tag make it a status symbol as much as a supercar. And on that basis there are few cars that can compete with the Aventador.